With winter quickly approaching, you will want your car to be up to speed on all the necessary precautions to ensure safe driving. It can be easy to ignore getting a car ready for winter, but prepping your car can positively impact your life and decrease the likelihood of getting into a serious car accident. In this blog post, we have gathered for you some important tips to help you ensure you have a winter-ready car.
Change windshield wipers
Windshield wipers ensure that anything obstructing your view is swiftly cast aside. You might think it is unnecessary to replace them regularly. Still, over time your windshield wipers can deteriorate, becoming completely useless when the time comes for your to wipe away falling snow or icicles.
You can even install windshield wipers designed especially for winter climates. These will last longer, withstand the harsh snowy and icy weather, and guarantee your safety as you drive.
Warm your car before heading out
While it is often terrible for the environment and our wallets to let our cars run idle, doing so for a brief time is not the worst thing one can do. Before leaving your home, allowing your vehicle to run for at least 30 seconds can benefit its overall performance in cold weather.
As your car slowly warms up, lubricants have time to spread throughout and cover all moving parts. Allow your car to idle long enough to clear the interior windows of fog and frost, then use a trusty ice scraper to eliminate any ice on the windshield and rear window. Your car should be warm enough and ready to go when you are done!
Do not neglect tires
If there is one tip to follow from this blog post, it is this one. Do not, under any circumstance, assume you can drive in the snow without winter tires. Numerous studies have proved them to reduce the number of accidents during winter and subsequently save lives.
Make sure you are explicitly getting winter tires and not all-seasons. All-season tires are often unreliable during intense cold periods and heavy snowfall.
There are now tires specifically designed for the snow or ice because winter tyre technology has evolved so much in the last couple of years. Tires designed to drive in icy conditions are known as studded winter tires. The only downside is the noise they produce when driving, and you’re banned from entering underground parking garages.
Put gas in your car often
Maintaining a full tank ensures you have enough fuel to keep your car warm if you become stuck on the side of the road. Another advantage of keeping the tank full is from a mechanical standpoint: a consistent fuel flow keeps your air pump cool. If left empty, water or ice particles could damage your air pump.
Clear the ice and snow off your car completely
An obvious no-brainer, yet we often see many motorists forego a proper clean-up of their car before hitting the road. Get a brush and begin clearing away any fallen snow on your vehicle. Do not focus on just the windshield or rear window.
Accumulated snow on your car’s roof can become a problem for you and other motorists. It can fall off your windshield, suddenly obscure your view, or land on someone else’s car.
The same goes for ice. Remove as much ice as possible from your car’s windshield and rear window to improve visibility.
Is your car winter-ready?
Avoid the dangers that come with winter driving by following our tips. Unfortunately, not everyone will take the time to prep their car, and accidents can happen.
Should you ever find yourself caught in a collision, you can trust our team of mechanics and specialists to get your vehicle up and running. Call us at (416) 259-6344 or fill out our online contact form to reach us.
